


Time Stands Still and It’s Only Us

by BriaPia



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: A Plant Wrote This, Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Meet-Cute, Past Relationship(s), Reincarnation, sculptor! Viktor, statue! Yuuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-05-28 08:59:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19390828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriaPia/pseuds/BriaPia
Summary: Viktor Nikiforov is a renounce sculptor, recently suffering from a lack of inspiration. Eventually, he is commissioned to repair a very peculiar statue, could this be what he was searching for such a long time?





	1. What we feel started way before we ever touched

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello I'm back xD. As it's been a constant in my latest (most) fics, my eternal thanks to [Tasha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for beating this little story in such a little time.

The constant pounding at the door of Viktor’s studio was unnerving. Viktor knew who it was on the other side. Yakov had been trying to contact him for a few days now and given that he had ignored both his calls and his texts, the next logical step for the curator was to drive through the city to pound at the door of the last place Viktor had to escape.

“Vitya.” Yakov’s voice came through the door, “I know you are in there, boy. Come out and open the door before I freeze to death, it's important.” 

Viktor sat on the wooden ladder that was placed against one of the walls of his study, leaning on the bookshelf right next to it, his long silver locks falling down elegantly across his shoulders, pooling over the makeshift pillow he did with his jacket and then cascading in between the rungs. Makkachin was leaning next to him, tongue lolling out and clearly enjoying the few rays of sunshine that filtered through the window. Viktor had decided to bring his loyal companion to his studio with him today, as he discarded yet another ceramic vase that joined the ones littered across the floor and shelves he decided to pick a book and take a break by lounging on the ladder, Makkachin wasting no time in joining him. Looking up to the windows placed right below the ceiling he wondered as he gently stroked his pet’s fur how much longer he would have to wait until the older man finally gave up and left. He noticed the clouds gathering above in the sky and thought that if he kept pounding at the door, Yakov might be about to freeze. It wouldn't do to have the one man that contributed the most to his rise in the industry to get hypothermia right in front of his studio. He slowly stood up and walked the few steps to the door, opening it as slowly as he purposely could.

“About damn time!” Yakov muttered, quickly walking inside.

“Hello to you too, Yakov. I’ve been doing fine, thanks for asking,” he smiled at the older man. Makkachin right next to him smelling the newcomer’s hand.

“Don’t start being coy with me now, I’ve come to talk about that exhibition you signed up for.” For all the agitation that filtered through his voice, Yakov still reached down to pet Makka. Viktor could appreciate the older man’s gesture. He knew that under that gruff exterior Yakov actually cared a lot for the people important to him. 

“Always about work, maybe you should take a break, your hairline could benefit from it.”

“Stop with the avoidance and tell me right now,” Yakov interrupted harshly, hand still placed on top of Makkachin, “Do you have that new piece you've said you'll finish?” 

The flinch that Viktor couldn't suppress must have been enough to tell the older man what he needed to know. Taking a deep breath he continued, this time calmer, “Listen, Vitya. Many of your sculptures and vases have already been moved to the museum, your exhibition has already been announced and the interview you recorded has already been aired. As much as I wish I could give you more time, the investors won't allow it.” 

“I know that,” Viktor whispered, looking at his studio. Many works in progress lay scattered all around the space, halfway sculpted or discarded. 

Reminders that the joy he once had for his art was no longer there, stripped away by the continuous requests for more and more, until there was nothing left for him to give to the world he had loved with such passion. “I’ve been trying to finish something, but honestly, I just don't feel inspired, Yakov.” 

Yakov’s posture changed, something akin to sadness flashed in his eyes. After a long silence, he talked once again, this time tone much more somber, “I’ll talk with the investors, try to get you a little more time. Your name might be enough to convince them to delay the exhibition, but I can't promise you much. Try to get out of here, talk to someone, it won't do if you stay locked up in just one place.” 

“Thank you, Yakov,” said Viktor, guilt deep in his stomach. Not for the first time he wished he could sculpt just anything without pouring so much of himself in his creations, if only to get Yakov out of a taxing conversation with the investors because of him. 

Once the curator finally left the studio, Viktor was left to wonder what could be the next step to take. Makkachin nosed his hand, a small whine left his snout, Viktor immediately kneeling and hugging his friend. 

A few moments passed and he was about to close down the place, call it a day and get back home, when he remembered an email he had received a few days ago.

Searching for it on his phonethis he read it once more. It was from Chris, he hadn't seen his best friend in a couple of months since the last time he had traveled to Switzerland, trying to find some inspiration. It hadn't really worked, but at least he got to meet his old friend alongside his current boyfriend, to catch up on their lives and whatnots. 

Viktor wondered as he looked through his phone, what if he just took the first plane out of Russia to some random location? He remembered with glee once upon a time when he and Chris did the exact same thing. They both had gotten drunk out of their minds with some premium vodka that had been gifted to Viktor after his first renowned exhibition. Now that he thought about it, Yakov had been the one to give it to him. He remembered waking up in some hotel by the French countryside, hungover and almost out of cash, no wallet to be found anywhere. Yet the inspiration he drew while exploring the town alongside an equally hungover Chris had been enough to guarantee another exhibition six months after that. 

A warm feeling came over him at the memory, an abrupt trip looking more appealing as the seconds passed. 

_Dearest Viktor,_ the email read.

_I hope you're alright. I haven't really heard from you in a while so hopefully, it’s because you're too inspired to leave the comfort of your study. But since I know the last visit you paid to me and my beloved Masumi was about finding new inspiration, that might not be the case._

_Which leaves us to the reason for my current email. I've had acquired a somewhat interesting new piece, a statue of a rather handsome man if you ask me. It isn't an original, though, but an incredibly well-crafted replica nonetheless!! Very old and very much like the classic sculptures you've always liked._

_I would very much love if you could actually repair it. A commission of sorts if you will. You can clear your head while you work over the repairs and maybe even present it as experimental art in that upcoming exhibition of yours. Think about it and let me know, I'll be waiting for your reply._

_Did I mention I intended to give this one statue to my beloved Masumi to ask for his hand in marriage? Must have slipped my mind, you know, for you to consider. No pressure though!_

_,  
Chris._

Viktor couldn’t help but exhale as an intent of laughter left his body. Give it to Chris to know about his current problems and lay them out in the most casual way. 

He thought about the proposition for a second. He didn't have anything better to do, and pouring some energy on that was better than actually wasting it in unfinished projects. Besides, he actually liked Chris’ boyfriend. The French man had actually brought an entirely new facet to his best friend, as he made the Swiss man exude an air of contentment ever since they've become a couple. 

Typing a quick response alongside a well-deserved congratulations, Viktor made a decision.

XXX--XXX

A week passed, and Viktor found himself at his study, hair tied up in a loose bun as the statue had just arrived that day. A man holding a vase over his left hip as water poured from it, right leg in front of the left one in a subtle elegant pose. A veil that modestly covered the man, yet there was still enough muscle and toned body exposed. The most striking thing about the statue was the man’s expression, peaceful, serene. As if he was in a deep sleep were it not for the vase he was holding. Hair so carefully crafted that it looked almost like feathers by how soft they appeared.

By a number of details plastered in the man’s face, Viktor could clearly distinguish the sculptor had carved someone from Asian descent. Not for the first time, Viktor wondered who had been the person who created this statue the first time around. And who had been the one who replicated it after? Was that the initial concept of its first sculptor, or was it added once the second one made the replica? 

He had asked Chris how had he come to buy the sculpture in the first place, what was its history. Yet his friend had only been able to answer with vague replies, stating that there wasn't much information on the object, only that it was presumably a replica made with parts of the original piece, given that there were traces of marble dating from two different time periods, the most recent one from around the eighteen hundreds. 

Viktor sighed, there was no use in getting fixated with the details of how, why or when the statue crafted. This was a gift for Chris’ boyfriend, and hopefully after his friend’s proposal, his fiancee. Softly pressing his fingers alongside the statue’s right arm, he closed his eyes. He knew he had a lot to do, there were so many cracks, both deep and shallow, alongside its legs, arms, and torso. And that was what he could gather while in his first assessing, who knows what else it could be hiding once he properly cleaned that statue. 

Whoever had it previously was not doing much of a good job in maintaining it in proper conditions. Viktor didn't know why that thought brought him so much pain. Making his heart clench and his breath catch. As if the notion of the statue sustaining any damage was equivalent to someone inflicting pain to the people he cared about. 

Shaking his head, he set to work. Why would he get sentimental over a statue? Yes, he wasn't happy that a work of art had been neglected this badly by someone who clearly didn’t know the value of their possession, but why would that provoke him that amount of grievance all of the sudden? Maybe he needed to talk to someone, or go out somewhere. Stopping his musings altogether as he shook his head once more, he set to work. Questions about the mysterious statue’s past locked away in the depths of his mind.

XXX--XXX

Two weeks passed, and even if Viktor told himself repeatedly to stop worrying about the statue, about where it came from or how Chris even came to buy it, he still couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering as he filled each rupture and crevice. As he smoothed the imperfections away, he pictured a man. Sometimes he was a prince of some sorts born in richness and opulence known only to a few, sometimes a humble stable boy who helped out his family as much as he was able.

Yet all the little stories Viktor came up with had something in common. The story of a man so beautiful as he was kind, mere mortals would offer him all the riches in the world and gods would try to trick him countless times for him to accept their hands in marriage. Yes, a man so handsome yet untouchable that shied away from the world in fear of what might happen if he ever came to accept the offers he was given. 

Maybe some famous sculptor was hired to capture his beauty or maybe he ran away and became the muse of a solitary craftsman. That was one of Viktor’s favourite types of story, he kept imagining as he started cleaning its face. The man must have escaped his life, maybe to avoid an arrangement of sorts, maybe he couldn’t cope with the distance other people took from him. He wandered for a long time until he found another man who understood. And maybe, somehow, the beautiful man spent the rest of his life alongside this craftsman. A well-deserved happy ending.

Some days, like today, the story took a dark turn, humans are greedy by nature, so were the gods depicted in myths of old, while some gave the man their blessings other ones wanted to keep him for themselves, and so they influenced other mortals, and they took and took away from him until the man was struck by death at a young age. 

Days like those were few in between, but after finishing his work and going back to his flat Viktor was then assaulted by dreams, of whispers and caresses, pleading him to remember, of forgotten promises about not giving up. Viktor normally awoke with a startle after those nights, Makkachin by his side whining and licking his arms or face. 

Even if the stories he came up with had a sad ending, they still took his mind off his worries. It brought a smile on Viktor’s face every time he daydreamed about the sculpture’s origin. The routine centered him, gave him a purpose beyond thinking about the next exhibition.

“Open the door old man!” Viktor was startled one day again by screaming and pounding outside of his study. “I know you’re in there, Yakov might not come to bother you here since he delayed the opening night for the exhibition but I sure as hell won’t let you push me aside again.”

Viktor knew that voice, knew exactly why the teenager was pounding with all his might outside his workplace. Yet he hesitated to open the door. Looking back at the statue, he took one more moment and pushed the door open. Blond hair and leopard printed clothes came rushing inside.

“Hi, Yuri,” Viktor spoke in a high tone. “What a surprise for you to visit me, what brings you here?”

“Don’t play dumb, old man,” Yuri replied, a scowl firm in his face. “You forgot your promise,” the teenager accused.

Something about the wording of that last statement made Viktor flinch, too close to the dreams he had been having lately, he couldn’t help but to look at the statue right behind Yuri’s back. Searching for something, anything, although he wouldn't be able to describe what was it he kept trying to find it.

The younger Russian followed his gaze, all the fight leaving his face as he slowly approached it. “Is this what you’ve been working on?” he asked. Viktor noticed there was not really any malice in his voice. Maybe that was a good sign.

“Yes. Chris commissioned me to repair it, as a gift, actually...”

The teenager only hummed. Viktor thought he might have been paying attention to what he said but it’d be hard to guess. Yuri had that look on his face that Viktor had already seen on his own so many other times. The expression of an artist looking at what a piece might become. 

“Do you want to help me mix the filling?” Viktor asked tentatively, as he motioned to the materials lying at his working table. 

As Yuri moved slowly towards the table to start mixing them, Viktor noticed the tense demeanor still lingering in the young boy’s shoulders. He knew there was a conversation there that needed to be addressed. 

“Was there something you wanted to talk to me before? You know, when you were trying to break my door down?” He moved closer to the boy, analyzing where he could start next in the restoration process. There was still so much to do.

Yuri only huffed, keeping himself busy. “You know damn well why I came here for,” he replied after a while. “You promised me you’d help me with my piece, and then you just up and left.”

And yes, Viktor remembered. A few months ago, a defiant Yuri arguing with the institute teacher Viktor had been invited as a guest judge for the second year’s final exposition. Yuri’s piece had been one of the most interesting ones he had seen in that gallery. He had heard about the sculptor before, one does not stay at the top of a limited field without hearing of young new promises. 

So he challenged the young sculptor to push his limits, and as a reward, he would help him with his current work in progress. He guessed the bright-eyed teenager that looked at him with a straight back must have felt betrayed when Viktor suddenly stopped reaching back to him. 

“I’m sorry about that, there’s not really an excuse I can give you besides that I’ve been too much into my own head, and I know that’s not really enough.” He dipped one of his spatulas in the mixture, lightly pressing the filling into one if the statue’s cracked arms. 

“Never mind, I guess.” He shrugged, but Viktor could’ve spotted the obvious lie from miles away. 

He thought for a few moments, looking attentively at the boy in front of him. He would have loved to have someone like a mentor when he was young and was thrown into the art world. He had had Yakov in a sense, the old man infinite resources and knowledge, giving him advice that only a curator can give, indeed that had helped a lot pushing his career in the right direction. 

But a fellow artist, someone who knew firsthand what it took to become someone worthy in the industry, someone to look up to. He never had that, and he could understand why Yuri could be seeking it. Because as stubborn and impulsive the teenager was, it was easy to find oneself alone in this path of life. 

“Tell you what,” he flickered his wrist, graciously pointing at the boy with the spatula he was holding, “I’m planning to finish this piece of beauty in a few weeks, maybe even less. You have my number but since I’ve already given you so much trouble I’ll give you my home address, that way if I disappear you can show up there and drag me out to wherever you please.”

Yuri’s face morphed from confusion to badly hidden glee. “Meaning that?”

“Meaning that I’ll help you with your current work in progress, but remember, you have to do your best first to impress me, do you think you’re up to it?”

“Hell yeah, I am!” He stood straight, smirking at Viktor. “I guess I’ll see you in a week, don’t you dare forget, old man!” He pointed his finger at Viktor, and then immediately starting to walk towards the front door. Before he reached the handle he stopped and turned back, “By the way, I like that statue. Make sure that by the time you finish with it, it'll be perfect.”

“Of course.” Viktor smiled softly as he looked at the object in front of him. “I wouldn’t dream to have it any other way.”

XXX--XXX

The more Viktor focused on fixing the mysterious statue the more he got this sense of longing, of nostalgia for what was lost. He had sense someone was calling for him in his dreams, the feeling increasing every time he spent a considerable amount of time in his studio. He sometimes even thought about not finishing the restoration so to not give back something that had unknowingly become so dear to him. Yet he can’t stop filling every crease, smoothing every surface as the thought of how grand the statue look once he’d finish with it assaulted his mind.

A few days, almost a week passed and he had finished with both the statue’s face and upper body. It had taken him longer than he would have liked but he reasoned that he would spend every single moment he needed to finish this project, not rushing his work even in the slightest.

“There you go,” Viktor whispered once he finished polishing the statue’s face. It was already late, the full moon could be seen from the windows above his head. He had gone back to his apartment a few times over the day to feed and take Makka out, but today Viktor really wanted to finish smoothing the face at least. And, _oh_ , the results were worth the overtime work.

“A beautiful face worthy of a beautiful man.” As he finished, it almost looked like its eyes flickered, a tiny movement that puzzled Viktor for a second. He took a step back. Maybe he had overdone it today and his eyes were playing him a trick. Come to think of it, it wasn't the first time he had thought the eyes of the statue were following him. 

Ever since he finished working on them he had had this feeling of them becoming more sentient, but every time he looked back the statue was the same, as if it shied away from him. Which was ridiculous in itself. 

“You know,” he once spoke as he finished filling one of the ruptures of its left leg. “Sometimes I feel like you actually know everything that’s happening around you. Yet you can’t really do nothing more than stay put, a distant observant. Like the happy prince.” He took a look around his studio. “Would you be glad to see how this world has turned out?”

The weeks turn into a month and he finally finished his work. The statue was beautiful in its grandiosity. As he studied it, he could already tell this was one of the best restorations he had ever done, maybe even one of his finest works. Smooth curves and sharp angles all mixing together to form the beautiful pose the statue was carved in the first place. The vase placed against the figure’s hips held effortlessly by the man, the water coming down from it almost looked real. Defined muscles yet still giving the impression of being soft were someone to be able to touch them. And the expression, just as soft as it was ethereal, Viktor wished he could place his hand against his cheeks and lift his face only to see his eyes looking directly at him. 

Something painful struck him at his chest, quick and precise. He would now have to see him get taken away from him. Viktor didn’t want to leave him but the reality was that it was never meant to be like that. With a bitter smile, he took one last look at him. He would call Chris tomorrow, telling him he had finished already. But as for tonight, he was done.

“Goodbye, my beauty,” he whispered as he slowly walked to the door, shutting down all the lights and locking up the door. 

That night Viktor dreamt of caressing hands, gracing his arms, his torso, his back. Soft fingers against his face, his eyelids, his lips. A slow exploration done with the utmost care. Dreams of whispered promises against his ears, breath warm and welcoming, a voice not heard for the first time but so difficult for him to reminisce a time or a place where such sweet tone was directed at him, warming his heart and spreading happiness through his body, making him light, loved. Dreams of lips brushing against his skin, soft and somewhat hesitant, an exploration he welcomed without question. Viktor longed for them to press harder against him, to truly feel whatever this flickering contact could become. Everything was a blur around him, yet he was able to sense grass underneath his body, distinguished a body above him and up in the dark sky, he saw a comet passing slowly, brightening the sky as it moved forward.

Viktor woke in a daze, it didn’t quite feel as if he had left the bed in the morning while he slowly reached his studio.

As he opened the door, he froze on the spot. Heart beating quickly, he saw right in front of him a man - a _barely covered by a cloth man_ \- browsing through the few books he kept on his studio. The man hadn’t noticed his presence yet, too enraptured by whatever book he had picked. Viktor’s first instinct was to flee, lock the doors and call the police, hoping they come to take the man away. He was about to snap the door closed when he noticed the golden marks around the man’s arms. His breath left his body as a quick thought came to his mind but he didn’t dare to hope.

He carefully examined the man once again, the marks decorated his back, legs, and continued onto his torso, the exact same spot where he once had so thoroughly placed the filling, where once marble was missing but he replaced so it looked anew. 

Viktor unknowingly stepped closer, making the door close with a loud bang, the sound startling the man, eyes lifting from the pages and looking directly into his, warm chocolate eyes, filled with surprise and wonderment. It took Viktor’s breath away once again. 

One thought came to Viktor’s mind, the golden marks, how even after this man in front of him, soft skin and smooth movements, how even when sentient the imprints on his body revealed his true nature. He was not entirely human, but was he still only a statue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [Rey](https://art-rmlb.tumblr.com) and the wonderful art that she has drawn. You can also see it [Here](https://art-rmlb.tumblr.com/post/185905686187/heres-the-illustration-part-of-the-work-we-did)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr [Briapia95](https://briapia95.tumblr.com) If you want to send an ask and on twitter too [Briapia_](https://www.twitter.com/briapia_). Yay!!


	2. I just saw the lightning strike, knew it right then when I looked in your eyes

Drifting. Yuuri felt as he’d been floating away, something akin to swimming, yet at the same time ethereal enough for his body not to feel the touch of the water surrounding his body. 

He had been wanting to fall for such a long time, to finally be able to be given an exit from the in-between he was currently stuck at. Knowing years must have passed since he was last awake, fully conscious of his surroundings, of his actions. But at the same time how that’d been the catch all along, he’d never been fully conscious for a long time, yet he hadn’t fallen into unconsciousness entirely either, trapped in a never-ending state of stillness. He’d been distantly aware that many years - centuries even - must have passed since the darkness encompassed him, since he last saw-

Who had he last seen? He couldn't really recall. The only thing being able to remember were the soft touches, the warmth he felt in his heart when- when... what, exactly?

In the darkness, he wasn’t fully aware of anything. Just himself. Drifting.

He once had a dream, a vision, all blurred and disconnected. Peaks of an incomplete painting, yet breathtaking all the same. Hair like moonlight, long strands that were held elegantly in an elaborate style. Eyes like the sea, deep and calming but with the promise of adventure. Slender fingers, delicate in its touch, _reverent_ , Yuuri dared to say. He started to form a picture of another being, another person, close to him in the emptiness he’d been surrounded. 

Yuuri wanted to reach out, to talk to this mysterious entity that had come so close to him he could almost touch them, yet he didn’t know how, not really, not anymore. Centuries over centuries of being in a constant daze and he had forgotten how to call for someone, how to ask for _help_. He tried many times, gods know he did try, but he couldn’t move, could do nothing but hope the presence wouldn't leave him to be alone again in the darkness. 

He still let his imagination run from time to time, if only to make his solitude more bearable. He imagined meeting this person, touching them, being with them, just like it once was. It felt as if he had forgotten something, something important he shouldn't have neglected, he could almost grasp the thought once he tried to remember, yet it lingered out of reach every time.

Yuuri started to realize that sometimes the darkness would dissipate, and there was a blurry world right in front of his field of vision, flashes of colours and lights that he hadn’t seen since who knew how long ago. The first time it happened he felt scared, an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long time, he was so focused on the feeling that he didn’t notice when the darkness came back, and bitterness was the next thing he felt. 

The next time it happened he saw a shadow, moving slowly around him, something soft pressed against him with the utmost care, and he got curious. _Was this the same person that came into my mind from time to time?_

He wanted to see him, even if he would only be confronted by a blurred figure, he wanted to turn around now more than anything just to take a peak. However, every time Yuuri tried to look he got assaulted by this feeling of embarrassment, a weight deep inside his stomach that made him shiver, it came as suddenly as he mustered enough strength to move. Thoughts of him not being good enough to face the person normally accompanied the feelings, as if he was still missing something important. Every time that it happened he turned back his eyes, the darkness that had accompanied him for so long abruptly returning to accompany him once more.

This push and pull accompanied him for a while, always the struggle between turning and take a look and just staying as he was for a fear of disappointing, who? Yuuri wasn’t sure. The one comfort he had was knowing the person was always there by his side, always caressing him, always comforting him. 

Once, he dreamt of a flashing light, beautiful and bright, slowly passing across the space, he felt its warmth surrounding him, softly embracing his body and soul. And, suddenly, it was morning, and he could see his surroundings. It was just after dawn when he could move again.

Yuuri looked at himself, his body whole again, “I’m fixed?” he whispered, breath barely leaving his mouth, trembling as he realized he could speak once more. Tentative and slowly, the fear that any sound would break the moment and he would be thrown back again to the everlasting darkness still lingered deep inside his bones. He breathed slowly, feeling the air filling his lungs, noticing the pressure of solid ground beneath his feet. Lastly, he became aware of the tears running down his cheeks. One thought filling his mind, _I’m finally awake._

Some time must have passed, Yuuri couldn’t be sure how long he stood there, but he finally decided to look around. Every object strange to him, as he walked around the room filled with these strange creations placed in every single corner. He could at least take some comfort in recognizing a chair and a table, and vases that littered various parts of the room he was in as well as some implements he could be sure were used to sculpt, even if they all had small modifications from what he remembered they used to look like. He slowly came closer to some of the other objects he couldn't recognize, gradually reaching for them. They didn’t cause him any harm, so Yuuri got more adventurous. 

Recognizing a bookshelf, he took one of the larger books, a strange alphabet he couldn’t understand adorned the front cover but as he browsed through its contents he was enraptured by the paintings of statues that filled the pages. They were so clear and precise, not even a single brush stroke could be seen of fell, it amazed Yuuri how the paintings were just so beautifully done, he marveled when he was able to even recognize some of the art pieces himself. It brought a small smile to his face, finding comfort that some things were still the same in this strange world he had woken into. 

A sudden noise abruptly took his attention away from the book, a man was coming towards him, he hadn’t noticed when he entered the room. Blue eyes filled his vision, the same as his dreams, a voice in his head whispered one single word. One that shook him to his very core, “Viktor.”

XXX--XXX

Viktor didn’t know what to think, what to do or say. The statue- man- was just _standing_ there, at his studio, holding a book. Then he was looking at him with bright wide brown eyes, a delicate blush on his face and nothing but a cloth covering him, just like in his dreams. Well, that last part he had never dreamt about but he wasn't exactly displeased about the addition.

Still, he couldn't understand what was happening, he had come to his studio hoping to look at his beautiful work, just one last time before calling Chris to let him know he had already finished the job, and now… Well, now that same statue that had become so important to him in these last few weeks was standing in front of him. His name was whispered almost in reverence by said man, taking all the words Viktor might have tried to muster away.

The same statute that was now closing the gap between them, cloth slowly slipping down from him as he placed his hand against Viktor’s cheek with such care that the Russian man wanted to lean even further into the touch.

He opened his eyes and noticed the man was now standing naked in front of him. _When did I even close my eyes?_ He really needed to put some clothes on the man right now, lest his brain would go somewhere else that couldn’t possibly be appropriate given the circumstances.

“I’m Viktor,” he suddenly said, chastising himself because the statue - man - already knew that. He’d just whispered his name so beautifully a few seconds ago, “But, um… I guess you already knew that,” Viktor swallowed as he concentrated on the soft smile that appeared in the man’s face, soft eyes and a deepened blush adorning his cheeks. He was truly and utterly captivating. “W-what’s your name?” 

The man froze for a moment, hand still not leaving his cheek, a quick flash of something, maybe disappointment, passing through his eyes before it banished, making Viktor felt guilty somehow. Even if he didn't mean any harm by asking. He was about to backtrack on his question before the sweetest, softest voice he had ever heard replied back to him. 

“My name is Yuuri,” and from that single phrase, Viktor _knew_. 

Heart fluttering, aching so hard for this man's voice, a reunion he didn’t know he had been seeking. He would forever be enraptured by this man. 

Placing his hand above the one Yuuri had against his cheek and taking it slowly to his lips, he placed a small kiss on his fingers, delighted in the gasp that left the other man’s mouth, “That’s a beautiful name. Welcome, Yuuri. Might I ask if you know where you are?”

Looking at his feet and biting his lips Yuuri shook his head, “I’m afraid I do not know where this place is, or what it is for that matter. Could you please tell me how I got here?” he lifted his eyes locking them with Viktor’s. Everything Yuuri pleaded Viktor knew he would provide. 

It scared him a little, all these feelings of devotion placed on someone he wasn’t fully aware was even alive. He decided to let those feelings stand back, answering instead the question Yuuri has asked. Since he felt that specific conundrum he would be able to handle for the moment.

So he explained to Yuuri, how he was commissioned with restoring a statue since he is one of the most influential sculptors in the current time. That sometimes while fixing him he had felt as if the other man had moved but he had thought that it was all his imagination since Viktor had been spending a great amount of time each day on this particular job. 

He also had to explain to Yuuri that besides what he had noticed, he didn’t know anything else, nothing that could enlighten them regardless of how Yuuri became alive. He could sense Yuuri wanted to ask more questions but chose to hold himself back. Viktor didn’t want to press him either, after all, the man was probably overwhelmed by this whole situation too.

“I see,” Yuuri placed his right hand closed against his chest, taking a few steps back and looking pensive, “Would it be much trouble for you to contact your friend? He must know something since he was the one who bought me.”

“I- yeah, no problem at all. I guess I have to call him anyways to tell him I can no longer send a statue back… I actually don’t know how will I explain that to him.”

“I’m sorry for troubling you,” Yuuri whispered, eyes downcast. 

“Hey, it’s no trouble at all,” he placed a hand over Yuuri’s shoulder, “Actually, this is all sorts of amazing. How many people can actually say that their artwork became sentient?”

“Not many?” Yuuri asked shyly, yet that small smile Viktor adored returned to his face.

“Exactly,” he agreed, giving the other man’s shoulder a small squeeze. “Now, I know you are new to this world and we only just met, but I think it would be better if you actually came with me to my flat. This is no place for anybody to stay at, and you actually need some clothes or you’ll freeze. Actually,” He looked around, until he found an old T-shirt he must have left at the studio at some point and offering it to Yuuri, “Take this, I’ll give you more clothes after.” 

“Flat?” Yuuri asked, tilting his head, as he took Viktor's offering and put on the clothes he was given, it hung loose against his frame but, according to Viktor, the man in front of him had an angelic aura surrounding him in that very moment. 

“Oh, umm… like the place I actually live?” 

The other man slowly took his hand, “Yes, please, take me to your home.” 

After lending him his coat, he walked Yuuri to his car, the other man at first hesitant to get inside, and clearly nervous once he started the engine and began driving. Nonetheless, after a few meters of him driving through the city, Yuuri became distracted by the view of the city. Of course, the man had never seen anything like that before, Viktor thought to himself, he didn’t know if he had been awake in another time but it appears that it wasn’t the case. Fifteen minutes later he was parking below his building. 

“Let’s go, Yuuri.”

XXX--XXX

The moment they arrived at Viktor’s apartment they were assaulted by an overly eager and curious Makkachin, the big poodle jumping straight towards Yuuri even making the other man fall backwards. For a second, Viktor became worried about Yuuri’s reaction, only to be immediately qualmed by the easy smile and soft laughter that overcame the man’s body as he carefully curled his fingers through his fur.

Once the greetings were over and Makka’s need for cuddles were satisfied, the first thing Viktor did was to offer Yuuri a cup of tea. He figured the other man must have gotten a little cold with nothing but his coat on their way to his apartment. _Can statues even drink or eat?_ He questioned to himself as he went through the motions. He noticed Yuuri following his every move with utmost curiosity, almost in a trance. Viktor must admit the shorter man looked perfectly adorable in his coat, he still needed to give him some clothes, and it didn’t take a lot of introspection for the Russian man to realize how much the notion of Yuuri wearing his clothes pleased him. 

He was brought back from his musings as Yuuri came close to him, Viktor taking a sharp breath, the unexpected closeness making his heartbeat increase. The other man walked past him, slowly opening the sink tap and then closing it again, he then turned around looking with awe at the electric kettle, lifting one of his hands slowly and poking at it while the water boiled. 

“Is this some sort of magic?” Yuuri asked as he suddenly turned to Viktor, eyes gleaming as his face showed something like determination in it. 

“Science more likely,” Viktor smiled, “Technology has come a long way in the last 50 years I would say.” 

Yuuri nodded and continued exploring a little bit more, Viktor just stood there watching the little movements the man did around his kitchen, enthralled. Yuuri slowly started playing with the oven console, starting one of the electric cookers and motioning to touch it as it started to glow a deep red. 

“Wait!” He grabbed his wrist, effectively stopping him before Yuuri burns himself. Viktor couldn't really know if he could actually feel pain or get burned. Yuuri certainly didn’t seem to mind the cold at his studio or on their way home. “That’s used for cooking and heating up food, I know it doesn’t look like it but if you touch it you might actually get seriously injured.”

As he delicately brought Yuuri’s arm back, he noticed how the golden markings had an almost eerie glow to them, yet to the touch, they just felt like normal skin, no different texture to them, they could even pass as some kind of abstract tattoos if someone were to ask about them. 

“Oh,” Yuuri nodded, “That’s good to know, thanks Viktor, I guess I’m really grateful that you’re here to guide me safely,” he then took one of Viktor’s offered mugs and started to carefully sip from it, humming as the warm liquid came into contact with his taste buds. “This is good.”

Viktor couldn’t help but wonder if this had been an elaborate hallucination all along, if he ever actually woke up from his dream last night. Maybe the chemicals of the fillings he used while fixing the statue had finally gone up to his head and made him mad. For a second he thought he might actually wake up in a hospital room and be told by Yakov or even little Yuri that Chris had taken Yuuri away to be gifted to his now fiance. 

And while that outcome was really the most plausible one against the possibility of a statue actually coming to life, Viktor chose to believe this was the real turn of events he had come to face. That Yuuri was real, flesh and blood and next to him, exploring his apartment.

And, as he watched Yuuri drink his tea, a voice in his head softly stirred up, telling him that maybe, even if this was all the result of a hallucination, it wouldn’t be the worst side effect he could have gotten from his art. The few people close to him sure knew what other effects Viktor developed as a result of pouring every bit of his soul into his crafts.

A thought abruptly invaded his mind once more. He still needed to call Chris, but… would he actually be able to somehow explain to him in a convincing way that he was not going to be able to finish his commission? He could make up many excuses really, and Chris knew how he had been feeling before he started repairing Yuuri. But at the same time he’d never wanted to lie to his friend, even if they had not been able to hang out as much as they used to, Chris was one of the few people that genuinely worried about him, that cared about when he was having a bad time. 

“Viktor?” Yuuri asked, placing his hand on one of the taller man’s elbows. “Is something the matter?”

“It’s just-” he took a few seconds to admire the man in front of him, realizing it was not only his secret to tell, but it was also Yuuri’s. And his opinion in the matter was the most important one by the end. “My friend, the one that commissioned me to fix you, I.. to be honest, I don’t know what to tell him at all. For once it’s not something you’ll believe easily and actually. I just came to the conclusion that your input in this is the most valuable one, after all, it’s your life we’re talking about, you should get a say in these kinds of important decisions.”

The blush adorning Yuuri’s face told Viktor that he must have said something right, with a bright smile on his face, feeling intrepid he placed the pad of his thumb against Yuuri’s soft lips, “Tell me Yuuri, what is it that you want?” he whispered, delighted at the soft gasp that left Yuuri’s lips.

“I-is he a close friend to you?” Yuuri stammered.

“One of my best friends really, I think he would actually like you a lot if he were to meet you.” 

“Then please, don’t hold back the truth on my account. If you trust your friend I do so too.” The sincerity in Yuuri’s words warmed Viktor’s heart, making it beat faster by the second.

“Thank you,” Viktor replied sincerely, glad to know Yuuri trusted him enough to reveal this. Maybe for the statue-turned-man, it was not such a big deal, but for Viktor, it lifted a weight from his shoulders away he didn't know he’d been carrying. “I’ll call him right away, then. Let me also look for something that you can wear as I talk to him. Feel free to explore the flat in the meantime, just remember, no hands near the kitchen burners, okay?”

“Okay, I got it, I got it,” Yuuri laughed as Viktor walked towards his bedroom.

“Hello, mon cher, how is everything going? Didn’t expect you to call so soon,” Chris said as soon as he picked up his phone.

“Hi, Chis,” Viktor replied, feeling the awkwardness slip through his tone, he decided to occupy himself in actually looking for something for Yuuri to wear, “I ah- actually, I wanted to talk to you, it’s about the statue you sent to me.” 

“I’m all ears.”

“Well- something happened- nothing bad,” Viktor quickly corrected himself, since when had he had so much trouble actually communicating with another person? “It was something really otherworldly actually, almost like magic.”

“Magic?” Chris asked, voice filled with curiosity. 

“Yeah- Have you ever heard of statues that seemed to come back to life?” He might as well have stopped beating the subject around the bush, “Well, that just happened.”

The line went silent for a few moments, enough to allow Viktor to become worried about his friend on the other line “Chris? Are you still there?”

“So, um,” the other man finally spoke, “You’re telling me the statue became alive, as in it’s not a statue anymore but a man, all of the sudden?”

“Um, yeah?” He hesitated. At least he finally found something for Yuuri, one chore that was going along well.

“Okay, Cheri, I’m taking the next flight to Russia to see that for myself. And I hope you have a better explanation than the one you just gave me because it doesn’t really make much sense. À bientôt.”

With that said, Chris suddenly ended the call. If Viktor knew something about his friend it’s that once he gets something in his mind is better to let the wild thoughts run along its course until Chris felt satisfied.

XXX--XXX

As Viktor walked back to the living room, he noticed how Yuuri had apparently discovered how the TV worked, he was sitting right in front of it looking more flabbergasted than ever.

“Viktor this must surely be an enchantment of the gods, how do people even fit in there?” He asked hurriedly as he stood up and walked towards Viktor, index finger pointed at the electronic device, “Are they really that small, how do you feed them? Is it maybe an illusion made by mirrors?”

“Whoa! Calm down there, Yuuri,” Viktor laughed, “I’m actually not sure myself how a television works, but I can assure you that’s free from any sort of magic spells.” 

“So, is this also science?”

“Exactly.”

“This world is full of surprises,” Yuuri said as he got just a few centimeters away from Viktor’s body, “Could you show me all its wonders, please, Viktor?”

“Of course, Yuuri,” he answered as he took the other man’s hands in his. “I love surprises.”

The sudden banging of the front door startled both of them, a sense of dejavu came to Viktor, knowing exactly who it was. “Don’t worry,” he looked back at Yuuri, “I know who that is.” 

As he walked towards the still pounding door Yuuri sat on the couch in front of the TV, clearly still wondering about its working, maybe Viktor could actually do some research and surprise the curious man by providing him with new knowledge.

“Hello, Yuri!” He couldn’t help but smile as he opened the door, the teenager was so predictable sometimes. He felt the teen pushing him back and barging into his flat. 

The younger man had maybe walked two steps before freezing. Following his line of vision, Viktor realized he was actually glaring at Yuuri. _Oh_

“Yuri, I can-”

“You _ass_ , so you ditched me _again_ because you found someone to spend the night with?” Yuri hissed, the look of betrayal clear on his face. 

That made him stop, he wanted to tell the younger man that he didn’t forget his promise, not this time, but he saw the confused and slightly nervous look on Yuuri. Again, Yuuri had no reluctance when Viktor asked him to tell Chris about him, but that didn’t mean he was going to be okay with doing it again. And Viktor was not about to do something that would make the man uncomfortable either. 

“Oh, Yuri, when you grow up you’ll sometimes meet people that you really want to spend time with,” he said hoping his voice sounded as unabashed as he hoped. Viktor hated doing this to the boy, especially after he’d _just_ promised to help him. 

To his credit he hadn’t been actively thinking about the commitment he’d done, what with all that had happened today, but he was planning on calling the teenager sometime in the week. He closed the door and walked towards the back of the couch, leaning on it and standing in between Yuri and Yuuri. _Huh, that’s going to be confusing_ , “Is not like I forgot either.”

“Don’t lie to me, I tried to call you yesterday and today and you never answered me.”

“I know you’re underage but I think you’re smart enough to know why I wasn't available at any of those times.”

“You-”

“Viktor,” Yuuri interrupted as he placed his hand over his, looking up to meet his eyes, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you don’t need to lie for my sake again, especially not at home.”

Viktor stared at Yuuri, was the man really okay with him telling other people where he came from or was he just telling that to comfort Viktor?

“Well? Tell me then,” Yuri demanded, interrupting Viktor’s thoughts. 

“You need to promise me you won’t talk about this with anyone else, okay?” He motioned the teen to come closer, better to show him proof of the whole ordeal. 

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Remember the statue you helped me with at my studio?” He took Yuuri’s hand and rolled up the t-shirt’s long sleeve, showcasing Yuuri’s markings.

The teenager’s eyes opened wide, he took a few steps back pointing his finger to both Yuuri and Viktor, “What- what the hell, you can’t be real!”

“Be polite Yuri, this is Yuuri and he’s as real and you and me,” admonished Viktor. 

“But, _what?_ How can you be so calm about it?!? That statue is now breathing in your flat wearing an ugly shirt!”

“Hey! First of all, this is a designer t-shirt, and yeah I already had my small breakdown, I’m in the acceptance stage now.” He winked at Yuuri, eliciting a giggle from the man.

Yuri sat down on the floor, pushing his back against the kitchen counter, Makkachin coming straight to him to ask for some petting. 

“Do you want some tea?” Yuuri offered as he stood up, “I can actually heat water really fast with this umm…”

“Electric kettle,” Viktor supplied.

“Yes, with the electric kettle. It’s nice to meet you, Yuri, by the way. I don’t think I told you that.”

As Viktor occupied himself watching Yuuri going through the motions, the teen slowly stood up. 

“You’re disgusting,” he murmured, but there was no biting in his tone this time.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, you like that guy. And don’t pretend you don’t!” Yuri elbowed him before Viktor could even mutter a response, “I guess this time your excuse is a valid one, so I’ll come back in a few days after you fix this mess with your boyfriend.”

He started walking to the door, not before giving Makka one last petting. “Do you not want tea?” Yuuri asked, cup already on his hand.

“Don’t worry about me, marble boy. Viktor I’m sure would appreciate it, I’ll see you around,” He finished just as he closed the front door behind him. 

“I really liked him,” Yuuri said once a few seconds passed, offering the steamy cup to Viktor.

“He sure knows how to liven up the party.”

As he took a sip, Viktor couldn’t help but wonder how would Yuuri feel if he was his boyfriend. He certainly was attracted to the man, maybe not so they were to become an item immediately, but he definitely wouldn't mind dating him, get to know him a bit by bit and let his feelings grew freely. 

But, would Yuuri even want that? His train of thoughts came to an abrupt halt. This was not something he ought to be thinking about the other man, not even if it was a highly handsome one. 

Besides, he didn’t even know if Yuuri was going to stay that way for a long time, without going back to his previous state. He hoped he didn’t, even if they only grew to be friends and nothing more, Viktor hoped Yuuri could stay human, and it seemed neither him nor Yuuri knew anything about how he came to life. He couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ dare to open his heart to a man that could very easily be turned back to stone in the next second, Viktor knew it would only serve to shatter his glass heart. 

Yet, as he sat next to Yuuri, watching how he pet Makka while pressing random buttons on the remote control until he found a show that caught his attention, something inside him longed. He knew that even if he denied himself, only one whisper from the other man and he would not hesitate to do his bidding, no matter how much pain that could eventually cause him. 

Pressing himself closer to Yuuri they talked over the sound of an old movie and Makka’s soft snores.

XXX--XXX

They actually spent the morning and part of the afternoon talking to each other, about their interests, Viktor’s career and such, and most of all they spent talking about the changes of this brand new world.

So many things have changed, evolved, so many new inventions, yet some of them remained close to what Yuuri once knew, or at least what the images that sometimes flashed through his memory seem to indicate to him. 

Yuuri found himself thoroughly fascinated by cellphones, and how they seem to do anything he could possibly imagine. The moment Viktor phoned a market for them to bring them food to up to his door, Yuuri couldn’t believe how amazing that was. 

“I hope you like Italian, it was the one delivery that was going to take the least to arrive,” Viktor said as he handed him some sort of container, steam coming out of it, “It’s called Alfredo fettuccine, basically pasta with cheese and ham, have you ever tried it?” 

Yuuri looked at the container, he vaguely remembered something that looked like the food inside it, long straps of dough, somewhat salty, “Yes, maybe some of it. I do like the smell of this one.”

“Well, let’s eat before it gets cold,” Viktor smiled before taking a big bite out of his fork. 

It was certainly delicious, he hadn’t realized he had been feeling… hungry. Yes, he hadn’t realized he was hungry up until now. It was something he hadn’t felt in such a long time. 

“Do you-” he started, not knowing how to elaborate the rest. At his pause, Viktor took his hand, giving him an encouraging look, “Do you think someone like me could adapt and eventually fit in a world like this? Among its citizens?” 

“Well, I think almost everything is possible if you set yourself for it. I don’t know if it would be easy or not, given your circumstances. But I do know this, Yuuri,” Viktor took the hand that was not holding the cutlery with both his own, “I’ll be there to help you with anything you need. Whatever it is, you can count on me. I promise you that.”

Yuuri felt himself blushing, he became aware of the butterflies inside his stomach as Viktor spoke to him, face full of devotion and care. 

He vaguely remembered a town. Someone standing by his side, holding his hand the same way Viktor was doing it now, but it was so long ago his memories were still failing him. He was not able to grasp the feelings that the person elicited on him. 

Maybe it would be better if he focused in the present, whoever that person might have been it was obvious they were long gone by now, what use did it have to start remembering someone he had not seen in maybe centuries? 

Still, Yuuri wondered, the only thing he knew when the darkness left him was the name of the man in front of him. If someone were to ask him, he wouldn't be able to answer how he knew. And asking Viktor would not lead him to any answer either. 

If the flashes of memories that had been coming to him slowly were important he would have to wait and find out about it by himself. Yuuri would love to know how he came to be here, standing in this strange future when he clearly had been born in a different time, had had a different life with someone else by his side. 

Yet, every time his eyes landed on Viktor’s, a lingering feeling of peacefulness wrapped his heart. Yuuri couldn’t describe it, not entirely, but he knew he wanted to hold onto that sensation, to stand by the man that had treated him with nothing but care and understanding. 

So he decided to be selfish, just one last time, and ask for something else to the man that continued to look at Yuuri as if he was something precious, “Viktor, could I stay with you?”


	3. No, this ain't the first time for you and I, we ain't strangers

It wasn’t like the thought of where Yuuri would go or what was going to happen to him after he’d got settled hadn’t crossed Viktor’s mind. But he never actually expected for the other man to straight-up ask him to stay. 

But, why wouldn’t he? Because of course, Yuuri was probably going to ask him, it was not like the other man actually knew someone else, well, besides Yuri, but Viktor would bet his right hand that thought never crossed Yuuri’s mind. Still, the question did throw him off a little.

Nonetheless, what else was Yuuri going to do? Leave his flat to wander around into a world he knew nothing about? Granted, the man could have asked for some money and directions but that was still a long shot. How would he fend for himself? Where was he going to find a place to sleep or eat? Viktor was sure Yuuri had seen that he had more than enough space at home to live with someone else, he had a spare room, full of art supplies and old projects but it was still a place with a bed he could peacefully sleep at night. Besides, what if Yuuri turned back into a statue?

That last question left a bitter taste in Viktor’s mouth, true sorrow spreading through his body at the notion of Yuuri leaving him. Still something he was not used to, why was he having those feelings for someone he barely knew? Just a moment before he had felt the same, not something that had happened to him before. He had lovers in the past, and most of their partings were amicable even, not once he felt the emptiness he just now did at the thought of Yuuri parting from his side permanently.

He must have taken a few moments, because Yuuri’s face suddenly changed and the man backtracked, swinging his hand in front of his face, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came to me. Please don’t feel obligated to accept my selfish request. I’m sure I’ll-”

“Yes!”

A few seconds passed where both men stood silent. “Pardon?” Yuuri was the first breaking the silence.

“Yes, of course, you can stay here, with me.” Viktor smiled, hoping Yuuri wouldn’t notice his nervousness, _why was he even feeling nervous in the first place? Yuuri had asked him to stay, it wasn’t like he was going to reject him now_. “I would be delighted even!”

Yuuri’s face instantly lit up, “Thank you so much, Viktor.”

“It’s nothing, really. I told you I’ll help you with anything,” Viktor replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. He still didn’t want to think about the circumstances of how Yuuri met him, and the consequences that they could face eventually, or rather _he_ would face if the man turned back into a statue. 

Deciding to better occupy himself with something rather than wallowing into despair he took Yuuri’s hand, “Would you like to go shopping? I'm sure you’ll eventually need some better fitting clothes than just second handed ones. Let me buy you something.”

“I couldn't ask you to do that for me, you’re already doing more than enough by allowing me to stay here.”

“Please, I insist,” Viktor squeezed Yuuri’s hand.

The other man looked at their joined hands. A small blush gracing his cheeks. “Okay, I’ll go change into the clothes you just lent me.”

By the end of the night, the shopping trip became an almost date. _If not actually a real one_ , Viktor thought. It all started innocently enough when after they managed to walk through four of the seven floors of the Nevsky Center, Yuuri marveled the entire walk telling Viktor how impressive the creme colored walls or the large crystals of every different shop were, managing in the meantime to accumulate quite a lot of clothing bags, all necessary regarding Viktor’s reasoning. 

Then suddenly Yuuri’s stomach growled, making the man blush deliciously according to Viktor’s opinion. They went to a restaurant at the top floor, a little Japanese place that one of Viktor’s buyers had recommended to him. They decided to try the specialty of the house, a pork-based dish called Katsudon, and the moment they tried their first portion Viktor knew they had found their favorite dish together, a delighted “Vkusno!” leaving Viktor’s mouth.

After their dinner, both sated and tired from walking, they decided to look at the surrounding areas, walking through Nevsky avenue across the Anichkov bridge they stopped a few minutes to look at the sunset, over the Fontanka, the water mirroring the sun in a breathtaking visual. The best moment, Viktor thought, was when he felt Yuuri’s hand slowly taking his. After that, they eventually got to the Aurora cinema where Yuuri stopped for a few seconds.

“Do you want to go in there?” Viktor asked.

“What is it?”

“It’s called a cinema, like where you go to see movies, remember the one we watched on TV this morning? This is the same but bigger and with lots of other people.”

“Almost like watching a play,” he whispered.

“If you want to we can go to the theater another night, go see a real play, but for today I think you would enjoy this, what do you think?” Viktor offered.

“I would love that.”

They chose a Marvel movie. Viktor had seen maybe a couple before that, never really quite interested in the entire cinematic universe, and he couldn't really follow the plot of this one very well. Apparently, half the cast had been eliminated in the previous install or something. However, he was much more enraptured in Yuuri, the way he enjoyed his first popcorn and soda, how he reacted to the special effects, asking Viktor every once in a while if all of those inventions were real, if people like that really existed. It almost became a game for him as the movie advanced. Trying to figure out which parts of it were fiction and which parts he could actually come across in the real world.

“I really love your gods, they are so much more humane than the ones I got as I was growing up,” Yuuri said on their ride back home. 

“I mean, they are not really gods, but yeah, I guess they’re quite the cool bunch,” Viktor laughed. 

Once they reached their flat they both took their separate ways as they headed to their respective bedrooms, Yuuri insisting he would take the guest room since this was Viktor’s place and he had already done a lot for him. Viktor was hesitant to part ways, even if it was a room a few meters away from his. But even he knew he couldn’t be so dependent on Yuuri, not after a day of them meeting.

“Goodnight, Yuuri,” he said, placing a small kiss on the other man’s forehead before heading to his room, Yuuri immediately blushing once his lips left his skin. Well, maybe he wasn’t about to beg for the man to come to his bedroom and spend the night, but he at least could get this small satisfaction. 

A distant knock woke Viktor up, and the soft steps coming close to his bed made him turn towards the door. Yuuri was there, biting his bottom lip. Viktor looked at his cellphone, maybe an hour and a half since they said their goodnights. 

“Could I share the bed with you, please?” he murmured hesitantly.

Viktor knew there was more to it, Yuuri was afraid, he always bit his lips when he was afraid but didn’t want to show it. _How do I know this?_ He decided better not to question it, especially at that time of the morning.

“Yes, of course, let me make you some space,” he immediately answered as he moved, Makkachin softly groaning at his feet.

Yuuri climbed into the bed, lying next to Viktor. As the Russian man began to fall asleep, the last thing he noticed were tentative fingers lightly holding onto his hand. Their heat giving warmth to his entire body. Finally, a smile he didn’t realize started forming on his face as his breath became shallow and he slowly went back to sleep.

XXX--XXX

They were just finishing eating breakfast, Yuuri just finishing eating with gusto the blinis Viktor made for him. The Russian man was lifting the plates to load them into the dishwasher when there was someone, once again, knocking at the door.

“Do you always have excited people coming to your home?” Yuuri asked, mirth in his voice as he hid a smile behind the back of his hand. He was seated on the chairs right next to the kitchen counter, and as Viktor admired his figure, elegant yet relaxed just like if he belonged to the place all along, he couldn’t stop but wondering if this was all just a dream. If it was, Viktor didn’t want to wake up ever again. 

“No,” he replied hastily, remembering Yuuri had actually asked him a question. “I have a suspicion about who it might be, and he will love you.”

“Oh?” a pleased smile formed on the shorter man’s face, “I’m glad then. I want the people in your life to like me after all.” Yuuri took one last sip of his cup of tea and then stood up, walking towards Viktor’s bedroom. “I guess I’ll go change, wear some of the things you bought for me yesterday. I still need to make a good first impression, and as lovely as these robes are they are still a bit too short.” He signaled to Viktor’s t-shirt, the only item he was currently wearing. 

That last part made the other man blush intensely, he had realized how enticing Yuuri looked, of course. Which was why he distracted himself making something more elaborate for breakfast, now that Yuuri blatantly pointed out his outfit or lack thereof, he suddenly didn’t want to actually open the door, let Yuuri keep roaming around his flat just in that. 

As the knocking continued he sighed and headed towards the door, he still opened it slowly which made his guest groan.

“Come on, Viktor, don’t try to make yourself interesting now, you know you are anyways,” he said as he pushed the door open.

“Chris, you know how I am, it’s always good to make my fans wait a little before the reveal,” he laughed, surprising himself how easy the action came to him. “Makes them more excited.”

“Oh? You seem to be in a good mood,” Chris replied as he sat on his couch, Makkachin placing his head on his lap as Chris started petting him in between his ears. “Don’t tell me this is because that very non-descriptive call you gave me. By the way, it made me worry, you ass,” he finished as he threw one of the cushions towards Viktor. Which was easily caught. 

“Don’t be such a drama queen I gave you a perfectly reasonable explanation,” Viktor countered as he threw back the cushion at Chris. 

“Don’t give me that, you told me the statue I gave you came to life!” 

“Yuuri.”

“Sorry, what?” he questioned raising a brow.

“His name, he does have one, is Yuuri. He’s actually changing clothes right now, wanted to make a good first impression,” Viktor replied softly. 

Chris hummed, looking at Viktor attentively, suddenly his gaze turning mischievous, “So, you’ve slept with him?” 

“What- N-no!?” Viktor sputtered, looking right at his door, relieved Yuuri hadn’t left his room yet. 

It only served to add fuel to Chris’ teasing, “Then I’m assuming he's not changing his clothes in your room, when you have a perfectly usable spare room right at the end of the hallway.”

“It’s not like that!” Viktor said a litter louder than he might have liked. “We went shopping yesterday, since you know, he didn’t really have clothes when he was a sculpture and I just left the bags in there since- and you’re not going to drop this either, right?”

“I’m so glad you know me so well,” Chris was about to add something else when the door to Viktor’s bedroom opened, Yuuri slowly walking towards the men as he struggled with his belt.

“I’m sorry it took me so long, these clothes were a little more difficult to put on than I had previously thought.”

The change on Chris’ expression was instant. Eyes wide open and mouth agape as he looked at the other man from head to toes.

“So it’s true,” he whispered in French, still perplexed.

“Bonjour,” Yuuri spoke fluently as soon as he lifted his head, “Je suis Yuuri, enchanté,”

“You- you speak French too?” Viktor asked, now him being the one surprised once more by the other man. “How?”

They both had been speaking in Russian up until now, which Viktor should have wondered how did Yuuri even manage to learn, but given the circumstances, it had honestly slipped his mind.

“Yes... I guess I know how to speak the language. Although, I’m not sure how,” the younger man quietly spoke, changing back to Russian.

“What about English?” Viktor asked changing the language once again. “Can you understand what I’m saying right now?”

“Yes! I can, actually!” Yuuri said, clearly excited about this recent discovery. “Your accent is adorable by the way,” making Viktor blush once again, a surprisingly easy quest for Yuuri to achieve, Viktor mussed. 

“So Yuuri,” Chris chimed in, this time also speaking in English, Viktor noticed he was staring intently at the marks adorning the man’s arms. “I gather you were the statue I commissioned Viktor to restore… I never thought I would say that.”

“Yes, it appears I am,” Yuuri replied as he looked at Viktor with shining eyes. “I never thanked you properly for that, Viktor,” he continued with a matching softness in his voice. He stopped for one second, turning to Chris then, “I guess I also have to give you my gratitude, mister...”

“Oh, where are my manners, I’m Chris, Viktor’s friend,” he stood up and walked towards Yuuri taking his hand in a handshake. “But I guess you already knew that. It’s a pleasure to meet you too, by the way.”

“Thank you, Chris. Would you like a cup of tea?” Yuuri asked, Viktor clearly noticing the excitement in Yuuri’s voice at the prospect of manipulating the kitchen appliances once more. Frankly, It was quite adorable. 

“Oh, don’t mind me, I was actually just passing by. You see, I’m actually quite busy, had to beg my coach to let me catch a plane here, and now I have to find a good enough souvenir for him before I get back this evening, so I’ll be going shopping right away.” 

“Um, okay?” Yuuri uttered, clearly confused. 

“Chris is a figure skater, one of the best actually,” Viktor supplied. At Yuuri’s continuous disoriented expression, he added, “It’s a sport. His coach is like a mentor, makes him perform his best and _better_ on every presentation.” 

“Oh, I see,” the brunette mussed. “I would love to see you perform sometime in the future.”

“I’m sure we can arrange that, Yuuri. Just remind Viktor to call me and I’ll send the tickets for you.”

“Thank you!”

“It’s nothing, I’m always glad to get new fans,” he replied as he took Yuuri by the shoulders and brought him close to him, watching Viktor’s reaction carefully before letting him go. “Well then, adieu, mon ami,” Chris smiled, “Viktor, will you accompany me to the entrance lounge?”

“Sure. I’ll be back in a few moments, Yuuri.” He walked with Chris as Yuuri nodded.

Viktor could feel Chris’ stare as they both sauntered towards the elevator. “Okay, tell me. What are you thinking?” he finally asked once the doors closed.

“I’m impressed that’s all, you’re handling this rather well.”

“I could say the same about you.” Viktor knew it was rather strange to just _accept_ everything, but what else was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just start panicking, that would leave him nowhere, and he actually enjoyed Yuuri’s company, he fit in so well with Viktor. Like a missing piece in a puzzle he hadn’t even know had been missing. 

“Well, you know me, I don’t really dwell too much on issues and problems,” Chris commented as he placed a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. 

Viktor knew that was a lie, there was a reason his friend flew all the way from Switzerland in the middle of the season just to check upon him. “I’ll concede you that I never knew this could happen, but you know you have my support in anything you need, Viktor. And I hope you can find some happiness in all of this.”

Viktor smiled, happy to know that his friend would be there for him no matter what. 

“Of course,” Chris continued while rubbing his beard. “Now that my engagement gift is no longer giftable, I guess it wouldn’t be much trouble for you to actually create an original work for me to finally ask Masumi to marry me?”

“You know what? If it weren’t because it’s impossible, I could almost think you somehow planned this all along.” Viktor crossed his arms as they reached the ground floor, Chris swiftly stepping out of the elevator.

“Is that a yes?” 

Viktor laughed, realizing he wouldn’t actually mind doing it. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask of you,” Chris gave Viktor a hug before starting walking towards the exit of the building. “See you soon, mon ami. Make sure Yuuri will cheer for me in the next competition!”

XXX--XXX

“By the way,” Yuuri asked a few days later as they were trying a new cafe near Viktor’s home. “When I woke up I was in a room that resembled the ones used by craftsmen, and you’ve said Chris asked you to repair me, is that what you do?”

“Well, you could say that,” Viktor replied as he watched in amusement how Yuuri tried to not let the muffin’s crumbs fall as he bit into it. “Since a young age I was talented at sculpting and making pottery, you could say. My parents caught up on that really fast and really encouraged me to follow that path. Then people really liked what I did and I met Yakov.”

“Yakov?”

“He’s somewhat an art expert I guess. He took me under his wing and helped me make connections with other sculptors and investors. By the time I was maybe 17, I was fully independent and had a name in the industry.”

“That’s incredible, Viktor.” 

“Well, you could say I got lucky, if it weren’t for the people who have supported me, maybe I would have taken another path in life,” he finished, pensive. 

Yuuri stared at him for a few seconds, his lashes brushing at his cheeks every time he blinked. It was cute, but Viktor couldn’t help but feeling nervous, as if the man was looking straight into his soul. He unconsciously started fidgeting with the loose strands of hair that had fallen from his ponytail.

“Do you wish you could have been something different?” Yuuri spoke quietly, taking Viktor by surprise.

“Well, not exactly- I mean, maybe?” He sighed, “It’s just, I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years now. There's nothing much I know how to do.”

“But, If you could think of any occupation, whatever it is…”

“Mmh... I always wanted to go to college, further my studies beyond just the required minimum. Who knows? Maybe study something related to art or something completely different. I was always good at physics when I was in school. Maybe something like astronomy would have been a nice subject to take.” Viktor surprised himself with that confession, he had never delved too in depth around this subject. Avoiding it even when it was asked by someone else in an interview or a similar context. 

“I like it,” Yuuri said. Viktor realizing there were several moments of them just been quiet. “I’m not really sure what all of those terms were, but you had such a hopeful look while talking about it. I like it.” 

“W-well, I’m still glad I kept on this field of work,” Viktor commented, flustered as he noticed how Yuuri had softly taken his hand under the table. “I met you after all.”

Yuuri smiled, a timid thing almost unnoticeable if it weren't for the closeness of both men.

“Would you like to go see it?” Viktor suddenly spoke.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, would you like to go to my workplace?” Viktor knew he was blushing by now, for some reason, the idea of taking Yuuri to his studio felt so intimate. “We can take Makka there, and I could show you around or teach you how to work with some of the tools I use, maybe you could make something. I’m sure it would be fun- or if you don’t wan-”

“I would love to go, Viktor,” Yuuri answered as he tucked one of Viktor’s loose hair strands behind his ear. Effectively making the Russian blush harder. “Let’s do that right after we finish with this food, okay?”

“Yes!”

XXX--XXX

“Wow, you’re actually pretty talent yourself!” Viktor observed excitedly while Yuuri molded the porcelain mass spinning above the wheel, the other man actually making a quite advanced vase.

“I still think it looks lopsided,” Yuuri complained. “Yours looks so prolix and beautiful.”

“Well, I did tell you I’ve been doing this for a long time, it's only natural I guess.” He tied his hair in a bun so it wouldn’t get in the way. “You, on the other hand, have been here for a week maybe? And doing better than a lot of people that I’ve met.”

At Yuuri’s pout, Viktor let out a laugh. “But if you want help,” he continued, taking a seat behind Yuuri and pressing his front against the shorter man’s back, enjoying the way Yuuri shivered. “I can always lend you a hand,” Viktor whispered into Yuuri’s ear, lightly placing his hands above Yuuri’s as he brought his body even closer to the other man.

“You’re going to make me ruin it,” Yuuri quivered, voice barely above a whisper. 

“Mmh, I don’t know, I’ve been told I’m quite good at this.”

Viktor felt the trembling of Yuuri’s arms, and how the other man leaned closer to his chest. He immensely enjoyed every single second of having Yuuri pressed against him, his own body encompassing the smaller man in a hug that sent shivers through his entire being. It didn’t take long for one of them to press harder than intended into the clay and ruin the vase, even when they actually managed to make some progress beforehand. 

“You are terrible at this,” Yuuri murmured, clearly amused.

“Whoops, my bad,” Viktor closed his eyes, unconsciously pressing his lips right into Yuuri’s nape, making the other man freeze. He quickly straightened up. “I-I’m sorry, I-”

Before he could say anything else, Yuuri swiftly turned around sitting on Viktor’s legs, placing his arms around the Russian’s neck and pressing his lips against his. A kiss as sweet and warm as the man sitting above him, Viktor’s mind went blank in the very second Yuuri opened his lips to let him in. Placing a hand behind his neck he just opted to bring the other man closer to him as their lips moved in synchrony. 

As they part, tears were falling from Yuuri’s eyes. Slowly and carefully, Viktor reached out to wipe them away. “Is something wrong?” Viktor asked, voice catching in his throat as he realized the burning in his eyes, he was also close to crying. _I missed doing that_ , he thought, catching himself from saying it out loud. Not knowing exactly why that thought suddenly came to him.

“No, nothing is wrong,” Yuuri replied with a wobbly smile. “I’m not really sure why I’m crying. I’m happy.”

“I’m glad you are. I’m unbelievably happy myself,” Viktor whispered as he pressed another kiss against Yuuri’s lips, short and fragile, choosing to not delve into that last thought.

XXX--XXX

Some weeks later, Yuuri was seated in the study ladder petting Makkachin, watching Viktor as the other man was carefully finishing the last touches to his new creation. It was a new style he had been told, something that became popular in the last decade or so. Yuuri could not say he always understood this new trend, but he could not deny everything that Viktor had created held an extreme beauty.

He was glad the man looked to be enjoying sculpting, from what he could gather, he had not been happy doing his work from a while now. And right this moment, as the other man softly smiled while he carved into the marble, hair tied in that messy bun Yuuri loved to mess around, the statue-turned-man couldn't help but feel glee filled up his body. 

“There,” Viktor said after a few more minutes.

“Is it done?”

“Well, I still need to polish it but the carving is as good as done.” He turned around, placing his hands over his hips. “How do you like it?”

“I think it’s really beautiful,” Yuuri replied truthfully. “This is the last one you needed for the exhibition?” 

“Yeah, I’m sure Yakov will be glad it’s finished. He managed to actually put the exhibition on hold for months now, that’s really no easy task. Just because he was worried about me.”

“Well, he’s clearly a good man who cares about you,” Yuuri said while he walked and hugged Viktor from behind, resting his head in between the Russian’s shoulder blades. 

“Mhhm, yeah,” Viktor whispered, leaning backwards. “You know, this is also Chris’ gift, sort of like a ‘sorry for not giving you the first one back but also not sorry at all. I hope you get engaged to your boyfriend.’ Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Pff-” Yuuri snorted, unable to hold his laugh, “I’m sure he’ll be happy, are you going to include that on the letter you send to him?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Yuuri pressed his head closer to Viktor’s back, glad to hear his heartbeat. Soothing and constant. The feeling he got every time he was close to the sculptor was indescribable, making him go high and warm all over himself. He never wanted this feeling to stop, nor going back to the slumber he had been part of. Every time he looked at his markings, almost shining when under the rays of sunlight, he wished with all his being that it wouldn’t come the time to ever leave Viktor’s side.

XXX--XXX

In the next few days, an older man came to Viktor’s home. When Yuuri opened the door he just stared at him with an impassive look on his face for a few moments. Whatever he might have thought about Yuuri he couldn’t guess and before the brunette could say anything the other man spoke in a gruff voice.

“Is Viktor awake? Tell him Yakov is here.”

“Y-yes, come in?” Yuuri stuttered, surprised about finally meeting him. “I’ll call him for you.”

“Don’t take long,” he said as they both walked into Viktor’s flat. Makkachin coming towards the older man from Viktor’s room wagging his tail.

“Who’s- Oh! Yakov, you’re here,” Viktor spoke coming from the room too. “This is Yuuri, you have not met him yet, but I’m sure you’ll love him. Please, make yourself at home. Let me get you something for you to eat.”

“Don’t bother, boy. Tell me why you called me.” 

“Always straight to the point, you never change,” Viktor smiled. “We haven’t talked in such a long time.”

“Would you like a cup of tea?” Yuuri asked, a tray on his hand. He might not know much about the man but he knew he was an important person to Viktor. He wanted to make a good impression at least.

Yakov started at him once again for a few moments before speaking again, “Sure, two sugars if you please.”

“So, Yakov, since you’re so eager to know. I called you because I wanted to tell you that my piece is finally done, several of them actually. So you can make the calls needed to get on with the exhibition.”

“W-what!?” he sputtered, spilling a little bit of tea.

“That.”

“Don’t give me that,” the man snapped back, red in the face, “You’re telling me after months of putting it off, you now have more than one piece ready?”

“Yes, I thought you’d be glad.”

“So that’s all? This boy, I can’t believe you. Months of you not producing anything that you’re glad of and now all of the sudden you finish something. Calling me and telling me the exhibition is on board once again, this stubborn boy.”

“So, are you happy?” Viktor asked as he smiled ever brighter. 

“Relieved, that’s what I am! I’ll finally be able to sleep well at night,” he shouted, Yuuri trying hard to suppress his giggles. “So if you’ll excuse me I’ll start making some calls before you decide your pieces are not good enough again.”

Yakov finished his cup of tea and started walking to the door. “Send the sculptures to the museum, I’ll text you the date for the grand opening and let the staff know you’ll be coming accompanied. Goodbye to you both.”

XXX--XXX

The days came and went and before Yuuri knew it he found himself at the opening night of Viktor’s exhibition, dressed in formal attire and sipping some sparkly beverage called champagne, or at least that’s what Viktor told him as he offered the glass to him.

The rooms were bright and full of light, tables filled with food, drinks, and other arrangements. Viktor’s sculptures and pots placed with care around the entire first floor. All in all, a marvelous spectacle to witness.

“Of course you’re here too,” a voice came from behind Yuuri.

“Hello, Yuri.” Yuuri smiled as he took another sip, “How do you like the exhibition?”

“I’m stuck in these clothes and it’s full of pretentious people pretending to know something about art,” he bit back.

“So are you not enjoying yourself?”

“I never said that!” Yuri paused as he ate a small piece of food. “You can’t deny that Viktor’s a genius, after all, you being here helped a lot with his rut. But don’t tell him I said any of that.” 

“I’m happy to know that you worry about him.” Yuuri teased him, noticing how flustered the teenager had become.

“I’m not! He’s finally sculpting again helps me a lot, that’s all.” 

“Mmh,” Yuuri smiled as he nodded, deciding to stop teasing the younger man for now. “Do you want some?” he offered whatever was left from his drink.

“You know I can’t drink, right?” 

“Oh, really? Sorry.” Yuuri awkwardly brought the glass to himself, sometimes some new convention still getting mixed up inside his head.

“Yeah, whatever,” Yuri finished eating whatever he picked from the nearby table. “I’ll see you around. Make sure you make him happy, you hear me?” he demanded as he turned around and started walking towards another room.

“Of course,” Yuuri whispered, more to himself than to the blonde one. He couldn’t help but think how true those words were. Of course, he would do anything in his power to make Viktor happy, the feeling not exactly new but still managing to surprise him as he uttered the words out loud.

As the younger man left, Yuuri continued thinking about his relationship with Viktor. He didn’t know how to describe the feeling overflowing his body but he didn’t want it to stop. He didn’t know if he was going to be back to being a statue, but he didn’t suspect it either. Whatever it might be, as Viktor came towards him, taking him by his hip and introducing him to some of the investors he knew, Yuuri wanted to make the most of every single moment he had with the silver-haired man, to not let himself had any sort of regret regarding their relationship. So at that moment, he made a decision.

XXX--XXX

“You sure are being forward today,” Viktor giggled as the other man pressed him against the entrance door, kissing his neck softly.

“Am I?” Yuuri mumbled. 

“Yeah, and as much as I love this. You’ve been drinking tonight,” Viktor replied as he untangled Yuuri’s arms from around his body. 

“Yes. But I’m not drunk,” Yuuri pouted. Viktor giving him a hesitant look. “Don’t you believe me?” 

“Well-” before Viktor could continue he felt Makkachin pressing his front paws against his hip. Whining as he held his leash in his muzzle. 

“It seems Makka wants to go out,” Yuuri spoke tenderly as he put the leash in Makka’s collar and softly petting the dog in his head, smile tantalizingly sweet. “Shall we?” 

“Of course,” Viktor replied more out of breath that he thought he was. 

It was a chilly night, Viktor noticed, but their suits served them to keep warm. Makkachin calmly walking ahead of them while Yuuri still held onto the end of the leash. Viktor looked at Yuuri attentively, realizing how his hair had grown longer, now almost reaching the nape of his neck. His checks had also become fuller, giving him a softer, more youthful appearance. Once again the thought of how lucky he was to have met Yuuri came to his mind. Taking the shorter man’s hand, Viktor kissed his cheek while they both continued strolling alongside the street. Enjoying the rest of the walk.

“So, has your head cleared up a bit?” Viktor voiced once they got back into the flat. 

“I wasn’t really drunk. I don’t think I can get drunk easily,” Yuuri replied looking at him with shining eyes and a small smile adorning his face. 

Viktor paused, embarrassment slowly creeping up his body. “Am I that dense?” He sighed as he plopped down onto the coach looking intently at the ceiling. 

Yuuri giggled while covering his mouth, “I think it was cute, like, how do you say? A prince in shining armor?” he finished by taking Viktor’s face with both his hands, intertwining his fingers with Viktor’s long locks and giving him a peck on the forehead. After a few seconds, Yuuri climbed above Viktor, pressing his lips against his own. “But, I think I’m making myself clearer now, right?” 

“Are you sure?” he hesitated, he would have loved nothing more, yet they had never talked about it, even as they got closer and more intimate, they never did something like that. For Viktor maybe because he still was in fear of what could happen after that, what could change. They still didn’t know much about each other or for how long Yuuri would stay like this. Viktor hoped forever, at the chance of getting his heart broken if Yuuri’s transformation were the revert itself. 

Still, as their kisses got heated and bodies pressed against each other with more intent, Viktor decided to take a leap of faith. Lifting Yuuri by his legs, he carried him to their bedroom, no sense in holding back in what both of them wished.

XXX--XXX

As they both lay on their bed, bodies tired yet content, Yuuri pressed his head into Viktor’s chest, sighing in peacefulness. “I love you,” he whispered, after a while, when the tiredness was finally taking over him.

Before he could fully fall asleep, he felt Viktor kissing his head, a muted “Love you too,” was the last thing he consciously heard. 

That night they both dreamt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: I totally forgot to say this when I updated, I'm so so sorry.  
> The French part says: "Hello. I'm Yuuri, It's a pleasure to meet you" and many thanks to [Cerisebio](https://mobile.twitter.com/OpaleDeFeuAC) for translating it for me <3


	4. Must be from a different life. Been here before and it just feels right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's a TW at some point in the chapter: temporary MCD. Is nothing explicit and it gets resolved within this same chapter. But, just in case, I feel the need to make this note. Anyhow, happy reading!!

The town was blooming that day. A merchant's vessel had arrived on the previous evening meaning new goods have been brought for the people to acquire. Yuuri loved these types of days, people gathered with their families, the street performers delivering the most energetic acts and the environment turning bright and welcoming. 

But the thing he loved the most, as he bought some food and liquor, hurrying to get to his destination, was the peacefulness that tended to surround Viktor’s- _their_ \- home on such days. Townsfolk too busy and entertained to visit the craftsman and make a request. In these kinds of days, he could enjoy watching Viktor sculpt just for the pleasure of it. He could even join him and be left alone in their own little bubble, away from prying eyes and unwelcome people. 

“I’m back!” Yuuri said the moment he entered their home, leaving the food and wine he bought on the table next to the entrance, “The merchant's vessel made the town very lively today, we could maybe go to the port tomorrow night if you’d like.”

He felt arms circling his waist from behind, bringing him close to the firm, warm body he came to love so much.“Welcome back,” Viktor murmured into his hair, “I missed you.”

“I wasn’t gone that long,” Yuuri turned around, pressing his lips against his beloved one, “I bought some stuff for us to eat and drink, we can have a nice lunch in here.” 

“I’d love that, let me just clean the excess of marble from the other room and put away my tools.”

“Right,” Yuuri replied as he set some plates on the table. Before he could finish, someone was calling on the other side of the entrance. _Strange_ , Yuuri thought, as he left the room, thinking that nobody was going to bother coming up here the day after the merchant's vessel arrived. “Hello?” he asked the soldier standing right outside. 

“Are you the man named Yuuri?” 

“Yes,” he hesitated, looking behind the man and noticing there were other soldiers around the trees nearby. “May I ask, what is that you require of me?”

“Counselor Aisopos has requested your presence for dinner this afternoon,” was the curt response he got. Not even a question but a demand.

Yuuri sighed, he had hoped this matter had come to an end already, “Tell him I have no interest in attending. And for him to please stop making such requests, I’ve denied him every single one of them and that’s not going to change, no matter how many times he repeats them.”

“B-but you can’t-” He started moving towards Yuuri, clearly not expecting the man to refuse.

“Is something the matter?” Viktor walked towards them, standing right next to Yuuri.

The guard became instantly wary. After all, Viktor’s reputation preceded him. He was an esteemed sculptor, his work sought after across the whole empire, the soldiers wouldn’t dare to lay any harm on him. 

“Nothing,” the man replied.

“Then if you would not mind, I’m going to ask you to leave this place,” Viktor spoke coldly to the soldier, eyes never leaving him, “and to stop coming here to bother Yuuri. He has already answered the same question with a negative several times before.”

Displeased but not willing or able to start any sort of conflict the soldier turned back, screaming “Retreat!” to the ones lingering close by.

As they left, Viktor took Yuuri’s hand. “Are you alright, my love?” he inquired, voice full of worry and apprehension.

“Yes, I’m just tired of that,” Yuuri huffed, placing his head on the crook of Viktor’s neck. “I wish he would stop requesting for my presence.”

“Some men can’t accept that the person holding their affections won’t return them back.” 

“He should just accept it.” Yuuri felt Viktor’s gaze on him as the other man brushed his fingers across his temple. 

“What if we run away?” Viktor suddenly asked.

“Run away? Aren’t we a little old to do that?” Yuuri smiled and pressed his body closer to Viktor’s. Relishing in the warmth of the taller man’s embrace.

“Well, maybe not run away exactly. But we could just go to another place, the empire is big enough and full of big acropolises, he wouldn’t be able to leave the city with his position here. And you would finally be left alone.”

“What about your job?”

“You know I can sculpt anywhere,” Viktor turned, grabbing Yuuri by the waist and placing his other hand under his chin, lifting up Yuuri’s face “I only need my muse with me,” he whispered as he caught Yuuri’s lips in a kiss. Slow and passionate, pouring his feeling in every movement, in every sound that left him. 

Yuuri knew Viktor was concerned about his safety, Aisopos had never sent soldiers looking for him before, a demonstration of his increasing influence in the portown. He couldn't guess how much longer until the man became tired of Yuuri’s constant denials and simply forced him into his bedchambers. Viktor had a lot of influence, but not enough to protect Yuuri entirely from the man. As the kiss came to an end Yuuri had already made his decision. 

“Yes,” he whispered, lips still brushing and eyes closed, “Let us run away from here.”

XXX--XXX

They started to make preparations for leaving the town almost immediately. If someone were to ask Yuuri he would have said he was nervous at the prospect of Aisopos taking some sort of revenge against Viktor, at having to leave for a place he had never gone before.

Viktor arrived at their town when he was a freshly turned adult, the older man having traveled extensively making a name for himself. But Yuuri had never left town, his parents coming alongside other families from the east, and while his sister had returned back once she was of age, Yuuri never left the place. His decision cemented right after Viktor arrived, broad shoulders, long silver hair, and a heart-shaped smile that without even trying was enough to bound Yuuri’s heart to the other man forever. 

But, Yuuri also felt eager, excited to explore the world. Even if Viktor told him they wouldn’t leave the empire, this was the farthest he would have gone. With the man he loved they would start a whole new life together. Sometimes Yuuri couldn’t believe his luck, waking up next to Viktor, under his caresses and kisses that made him shiver in anticipation. 

Viktor always said he was the lucky one for having found Yuuri, for Yuuri to fall in love with him, and whenever Yuuri had any doubts about their relationship, Viktor would make sure to do anything within his power for him to be reassured. And Yuuri would love him more because of that.

The moon changed and they had finished all the arrangements, Yuuri only needed to say goodbye to his friends before finally leaving for their own adventure with Viktor. He walked to Yuuko and Takeshi’s home, their parents being some of the families that arrived at the town with Yuuri’s parents, resulting in the trio knowing each other since they were nothing more than babies. 

“Yuuko!” Yuuri greeted her the moment he was close enough to her house. The woman turning around with some difficulty, it was to be expected when she was almost about to give birth to her and Takeshi’s firstborn child. 

“Yuuri. Hello! Come inside,” She waved, always full of energy, “I was wondering when were you going to be back to visit us. Takeshi went to the port to buy some fish, but he’ll be back shortly.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll wait,” Yuuri said with a subdued smile. It didn’t take long for Yuuko to notice, knowing right away what was happening to his dearest friend.

“So… Is it time already for you and Viktor to leave?” she took a seat, placing her hand on her belly. Yuuri doing the same in a nearby chair.

“Yes, we’ll be parting in a few days’ time, but I wanted to come here to say goodbye, just between the three of us, well, I guess four of us,” he finished looking at Yuuko’s swollen stomach. A baby he would not get to watch born, but maybe he would be able to see from time to time, especially if his friends were to travel to the acropolis he and Viktor were going.

“I’m going to miss you,” Yuuko admitted, “I’m sad to see you leave, but we all know how difficult it has been for you with that idiot in charge, I’m glad you’re getting away from him, and it appeases me to know you’re not leaving alone. Viktor is a good man.”

“Yes, he’s the best.” Yuuri licked his lips, unable to hide the smile blooming at the thought of the taller man.

“Where is he, by the way?”

“He’s gone ahead to see everything is ready for when we arrive. He’ll be back in a few days and we’ll be go-” Something catches his eyes, making him turn to the outside entrance. He could have sworn someone moved, but looking attentively nothing but the trees and stone path could be seen. 

“Yuuri?”

“Sorry, I thought I saw something.” He huffed, rubbing the back of his head, “I guess I was wrong.”

“So you’ll both be gone once Viktor is back?” Yuuko asked.

“Yes,” Yuuri replied, deciding it must have been nothing.

They kept talking for a while, when Takeshi came back from the port, carrying several types of fish that Yuuri helped Yuuko cooking. They had a wonderful night, full of reminiscing the lost days of their youth, a bittersweet goodbye yet Yuuri was happy he had come.

“Yuuko will miss you,” Takeshi spoke as Yuuri exited his home, “I’ll miss you too.”

“I’ll miss you both too,” Yuuri hugged his friend, “I’m sorry I can’t be here for when your baby is born.”

“We’ll make sure you both meet,” Takeshi hugged him back, patting his back before taking a step back.

“If you need anything, or if Viktor dares to mistreat you, you’ll write to me, right?”

Yuuri’s eyes filled with unshed tears, he knew he was going to miss them the most, and knowing how both Takeshi and Yuuko cared so much about him made his throat clench, “You know Viktor would never dare, but don’t worry. I’ll write to you if anything happens. I’ll write to you regularly.”

“Good. Goodbye, my brother,” Takeshi replied, “Don’t forget to write!” he shouted as Yuuri walked the path to his and Viktor’s home.

XXX--XXX

Viktor had never imagined, not in his worst nightmare, what the repercussions of his last request to Yuuri would be. Some time had passed, not even long, not enough for Yuuri to become one year older, not enough for Viktor at all.

One day he was coming back, glad to be able to purchase a room for him and Yuuri in the next vessel heading out of town, so excited to show Yuuri their new home, thrilled to see the reactions, the emotion on Yuuri’s eyes once he saw it for the first time. Suddenly, every nightmare and terror he never knew he had become true. 

The trail of a fight clear as day from the moment he entered the house, and when he entered their room, he saw a vision he wished with all his might he could forget. Yuuri was lying on their bed, unresponsive, bruises covering his entire body, and whatever Viktor did he couldn’t wake the man up. 

Viktor didn’t remember anything else, the tears clouded his vision and the screams became empty noise, someone must have heard, or maybe it was someone who had come simply to request a sculpture, Viktor didn’t care. The only thing he remembered was watching Yuuri’s body burn, coins over his eyes and a white robe covering his body. 

Yuuko holding two of her babies as she tried hard not to fall, pressing her body towards Takeshi while he helped her stand up and somehow hold their third baby, the man’s face stricken by sorrow. For a second, jealousy filled Viktor’s body. They could have had a family, they could have been happy together and live long-lasting lives until their skins became prunny and their hair grey. Yuuri would have been exhilarated, to know Yuuko gave birth to three baby girls. But what did it matter? Nothing mattered anymore. Yuuri was gone.

XXX--XXX

“Viktor?” He remembered once Takeshi came to the place he used to call home.

He didn’t know what day it was, he had been drinking for a while, alcohol the only thing that gave him some sort of escapism from the wretched reality he was condemned to live in.

“What?!” he rasped, voice hoarse and full of anguish. “Leave me be.”

“Viktor, you can’t keep doing this,” Takeshi tried, “Yuuko is worried for you too, please come to our house for a while, to see our girls at least,” yet his pleas fell onto deaf ears.

“Leave me be, please.”

“Viktor, you know Yuuri wouldn’t-”

“Wouldn’t what?!” Viktor screamed, trying to stand up but failing in the process, “He’s not here, he was taken away from me, and nothing, _nothing_ , can change that!”

“Vik-”

“Just let me- leave me alone.” He threw something to the man, only the gods knew what it was. He had no chance of actually hitting Takeshi with it, but it served as enough of a sign for the other man to understand that he wanted to be left _alone_.

“Our doors are always open. I’ll be back,” he said before turning around and leaving the place.

He did come back from time to time, Yuuko sometimes alongside him, only to at least leave some fresh fruits and something other than wine to Viktor. Deep down, the other man was incredibly grateful, but the grief was stronger than the gratitude, and he kept turning them down time and time again.

XXX--XXX

He remembered one day, someone came to the empty quarters of what used to be the place he sculpted. Viktor had been drinking, and for a few moments, he thought he had seen Yuuri standing over an unfinished sculpture. Soft, back hair, muscular body and a grace it could only be attributed to his beloved. Yet as the man turned around and Viktor got to see his face, sorrow encompassed Viktor’s heart. This was not Yuuri.

“Why are you here?” Viktor slurred, not even caring if he was being rude to whoever that man was. “If you came here for a request I won’t do it.”

“That’s a shame,” the man said, his voice, so close yet so distant to the memory of his beloved. 

Viktor’s hands twitched, longing to touch the one that he loved. Yet his mind put a halt into that, reminding him once again that this person, whoever it was, wasn’t, _couldn’t_ be Yuuri. He just opted to stand there, lest he would break into tears once again at the memories that kept haunting him every single moment. 

“A shame indeed,” the man mussed.

“I heard you the first time,” Viktor replied, irritated. “Now that you know, leave me be, and tell whoever tries to come here that I won’t ever accept a request again.”

“Not even if the reward is worth your effort?”

Viktor laughed, a broken thing that sounded more like a cry than anything else, his misery bleeding into the sound. “Nothing is worth the effort.”

“Not even your beloved one?”

Viktor froze, rage engulfing whatever feelings of sadness and despair he had. “Are you here to mock me?! Leave!”

The man lifted one simple finger and everything became cold, Viktor unable to utter anything else. “You are mistaking me. I know you’re grieving but another word and my patience will wear thin,” he warned, effectively infusing dread into Viktor’s soul. “Let me start this conversation over. I’m here to make you an offer, one sculpture for one life. You see, some time ago a child of mine was brutally taken away from this world because of the meddling of a jealous god. I can’t allow that to happen, so here I am offering you to make one statue, of the mortal that held your heart, give that to me as an offer and in exchange I’ll see that it becomes him once more.”

Viktor could not answer anything, shock, fear, and dread still coursing through his veins. But those were familiar feelings since Yuuri was taken away, the thing that scared him the most was the small sliver of hope that joined all those previous emotions. 

“What- who are you?”

“Oh, sweet child, I have many names, but the mortals of this land call me Eros.”

“That’s impo-”

“You should know gods have almost unlimited power, nothing is impossible for us, but I don’t have much time and I won’t offer this again, so what’s your answer?”

And, _oh_ , how Viktor wanted to say yes, but could he afford to get himself filled with hope only for his heart to be shattered once more? It would surely kill whatever it was left of him, yet again, what was the point of even keep going like this? Wasting himself slowly as he wished for the days that had been stolen from him.

“I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful” The man- Eros, smiled “I’m a god of my word, so this is my request mortal; recreate my child to his every last detail and I’ll grant you the opportunity to be with him again. Infuse the sculpture with love, every single part of your being that loved him, use it to create this piece, and in turn, I shall give you what you want the most and have lost. That will be my offer and your sacrifice, and only you will be able to fulfill my request.” 

With that, the man turned around, just after leaving the entrance he disappeared, not a trace behind. And Viktor, Viktor knew what he had to do. He got himself ready to work one last request.

XXX--XXX

And Viktor did keep up with his work, the sole possibility of having Yuuri by his side again, touching him, hugging him, kissing him and speaking to him, fueled him like nothing else had done it before. Takeshi and Yuuko became glad that he was sculpting again.

Still, he redid his work over and over again, always remembering some other detail of his beloved’s body. Of how his eyelashes fell over his cheeks, of how his movement held such a grace, of how his fingers, delicate and slender felt when Yuuri used to hold him. It took Viktor longer than he would have wanted, and sometimes he would lose sleep or skip meals to finish a small detail in the sculpture. 

What started as a good sign to his friends soon became a source of worry. Viktor knew, he wasn’t blind to the worried looks sometimes the couple would give him. But for him it didn’t matter, he would gladly sacrifice anything for Eros to fulfill his promise. 

Yet the world is not always fair and sometimes men’s greed and jealousy were stronger. And Aisopos’ was the strongest of any other man. 

The war he caused razed everything in the once flourishing land. Nobody knew how, only that one day Viktor’s body was found, his last unfinished creation nowhere to be found. Rumors spread that he might have succumbed to an attack from the enemy, yet many knew the feelings Aisopos had towards the sculptor’s late lover. 

Whatever it might have become of Viktor, whatever his fate had been, famine and disease soon quieted any rumor or talk about the craftsman, and his story became just another one of tragic love. 

The years passed and the statue got more and more cracked, some attempts to restore it were made, nonetheless, every single one of them was unsuccessful. After all, only the person that made the deal with the god was going to be able to fulfill it. 

In Switzerland, a dream eventually came to a young man, someone who loved his boyfriend very dearly, his partner in life. To give the person he held the dearest in this world a special gift, a statue he saw the previous days that could be restored. To contact his best friend, lost in the draught of disinterest and to ask him for a favor. 

So he did, and just like Eros once promised so many years ago, Yuuri and Viktor were finally reunited once more.


	5. Hold me like that and pull me right back again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is more like a small epilogue. Hope you guys enjoy :D

As he slowly came back from the memories that had suddenly resurfaced once more, Yuuri noticed his golden brandings light up. He turned around only to be faced by Viktor, the other man never stopped holding him as the night passed. Starting to wake up by either the end of the dream or just the gleaming marks shining brighter by the second, Yuuri couldn't be so sure, but Viktor quickly opened his eyes the moment he noticed what was happening, his pale face streaked by dry tears that he must have shed overnight. 

The marks on Yuuri’s body didn’t really hurt, but there was a lingering itch traveling around his body, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, caressing his body on every place that the brands hugged him. It should have felt unnerving, yet at that moment, Yuuri didn’t feel scared. A sense of comfort enveloped him, urging him to place his arms around Viktor’s neck, bringing him closer to his body. 

“I love you, I missed you,” Yuuri whispered as he pressed his lips against the Russian man. 

When Viktor gasped Yuuri used the moment to deepen the kiss. Savouring every second of it. The knowledge of their past filling something inside his chest he hadn’t known he missed. 

“I’m so happy,” he finished, brushing his lips as he spoke to Viktor, tenderly, lovingly. Pouring all his feelings into those words. 

“Yu-” Viktor choked, not able to continue talking as he was overwhelmed with so many emotions. Grief, happiness, contentment but most of all gratitude to be able to see his beloved once more, to hold him in his arms as the warmth of Yuuri’s body enveloped his own, to have the opportunity of falling in love all over again with Yuuri. 

Yuuri had been taken away from his life so abruptly, so unfairly, and even by the end of his previous life he had thought that Eros deal had been a ruse, that only served to amuse the god for a while. He had never been happier to have been mistaken. 

Still, he couldn’t help but feel regret mixed with guilt at that moment too. After all, all those years after Yuuri was gone one thought kept plaguing his mind over and over again. “I couldn't protect you,” he confessed bitterly, “If I had never asked you to leave with me, no harm would have come to you.” 

Yuuri stared at him, surprised evident in his face, eyes flashing sadness for just a second before he cupped Viktor’s cheek with his hand, “We won’t ever know if our lives might have changed had we taken a different decision,” he pressed another kiss to Viktor’s lips, “You were trying to get me somewhere safe, and it’s not fair for you to hold any guilt for what happened.”

“But I-”

“Loved me,” Yuuri interrupted him, eyes determined to not let Viktor feel any amount of self hatred, “You loved me and wanted the best for me. What happened to me was not your fault, Viktor. And I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life making sure you know that.”

The tears came without Viktor noticing, had not been for Yuuri softly wiping them with his fingers, a quiet comfort that only the other man could offer to him. Viktor tightened his arms around Yuuri, nesting his head on the other man’s neck. 

“I love you,” Viktor spoke, the sound muffled as he refused to part from the embrace, “I love you so much.”

As he spoke those words he realized Yuuri’s branding had stopped glowing, slowly fading from his body as they were replaced by smooth skin. 

And Viktor instantly knew, this was the sign of them finally being reunited, after all these years, they were finally together again, body and soul. Eros has granted Viktor’s wish, rather because of his own despair or the god being bothered by Yuuri’s death Viktor didn’t know. Nor did he care, the only one that mattered was Yuuri, lovely, and warm, and smiling above him. 

It was a new chapter, a new opportunity for them that have been granted. Viktor swiftly turned Yuuri around, pressing the other man against the bed as he kissed him, laughing and drowning in the knowledge that they had the rest of their life to enjoy this happiness. 

“Yuuri. Welcome back, my love,” Viktor said, a heart-shaped smile forming as an idea came to him. “We need to celebrate!” 

“Viktor,” Yuuri gasped. Still out of breath given Viktor’s maneuverings, “That’s not necessary.”

“Of course it is, it’s imperative to do so, let’s go right now!” He finished as he dragged a laughing Yuuri out of bed. 

Of course, it was necessary, after all- against all odds- his life and love had come back to him. Viktor would be damned if he didn’t rejoice in such a glorious occasion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many many thanks to the people who gave this story a shot. Writing this last few months has been truly difficult but each comment and kuddo gives me so much encouragement to keep going. So, thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [Rey](https://art-rmlb.tumblr.com) and the wonderful art that she has drawn. You can also see it [Here](https://art-rmlb.tumblr.com/post/185905686187/heres-the-illustration-part-of-the-work-we-did)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr [Briapia95](https://briapia95.tumblr.com) If you want to send an ask and on twitter too [Briapia_](https://www.twitter.com/briapia_). Yay!!


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